Yes, Riley does die due to the infected bite wound she suffered while protecting Ellie from the Infected in the mall.
While we do not see Riley’s death in The Last of Us Season 1 episode 7, she does unfortunately later succumb to the infection and die.
Of course, it was a heartbreaking moment in the show, elevated by the brilliant performance by Storm Reid, who fans may recognize from another iconic and emotionally driven HBO TV series.
Riley dies in mostly the same way in the Left Behind DLC for The Last of Us video game. The Left Behind DLC is the only time she appears in The Last of Us video games.
Like in the TV series, Riley is bitten on the hand. However, in the video game, Riley and Ellie are chased by multiple Infected throughout the mall and by just one.
You can see how Riley dies in the Left Behind video game below:
How Does Riley Die in The Last of Us TV Show?
Riley is bitten by an Infected while she tries to save Ellie. Unlike Ellie, who is immune to the infection, Riley cannot survive it.
As a result, she succumbs to the infection and dies. It is unclear in the TV show or game how Riley dies after becoming infected, but Ellie or the Fireflies likely killed her.
This is obviously devastating for Ellie, who had just confessed her true feelings for Riley. This traumatic incident causes Ellie to fear being left alone.
This is only exacerbated further by the fact that Joel could die at any moment. Considering how close they have become, it is only natural for Ellie to fear the worst.
Of course, fans wanting to know what happens to Ellie and Joel after episode 7 can get a sneak peak at the series’ future right now.
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